Roosevelt approves salary increase

PORTALES — The Roosevelt County Commission voted Tuesday to approve the first increase in elected officials' salaries since 2012.

The increase will in 2019 raise the salary of the county sheriff to $65,000 and the salary of the county assessor to $60,125, according to county records; in 2021, the county clerk and county treasurer's salaries will increase to $60,125.

County Manager Amber Hamilton assured the commission that Roosevelt County would still maintain a positive operating margin with the salary increases.

"Y'all have 4.1 million in cash and reserves at this point and your reserve requirement is 1.2 million, so if you set that aside, that's where you get the 2.889 million that we have at this point," she said.

Commissioner Dennis Lopez said that after seeing elected official salaries in the past, that "it's not fair, in my opinion, for an elected official to sometimes be even earning less than individuals working under that department."

County Treasurer Layle Sanchez told the commission that the increase is necessary and not large.

"I asked for 5 percent, and that is a 1 percent increase from the last time we saw one. Honestly, I feel that it's fair for a 1 percent increase, just a cost of living alone, to help offset that," she said.

That sentiment was echoed by Hamilton, who said that elected officials and their deputies "keep the offices running and keep everything functioning."

"What I see is that they're committed and they're here, and they have to run an office, and they have huge responsibilities, and they have not been honored with any kind of salary increase since 2012," she said, "so when they presented the request, we took it very seriously."

Also at Tuesday's meeting:

• Commissioners approved the appointment of county residents Jack Merrick and James Hamilton to the county's valuation protest board.

Amber Hamilton, who is not related to James Hamilton, said the board is set up to review and make a decision on protests that the county assessor cannot satisfy.

• The commission approved two proclamations: one designating the first full week of May as National Correctional Employees Week, and the other declaring May Motorcycle Awareness Month.

• Commissioners approved the renewal of the county's contract with Correct Care Solutions for 24-hour health care services at the Roosevelt County Detention Center.

The contract increased $900 a month since 2017, according to RCDC Administrator Justin Porter.

He said the increase will pay for services like education on sexually transmitted diseases and 12 to 16 hours a week for an administrator to handle medical billing at the jail.

"The services that they're offering and stepping up to now, without asking for additional compensation outside of this, I think outweighs the $900 that they're requesting in addition a month," he said.

• A three-year contract with Cordova CPAs for audit services was approved.

The contract will cost the county $39,775 in 2018, about $9,000 cheaper than renewing a contract with the county's last audit firm, according to Hamilton.